Improvement in windmills



4 Sheets--Sheet 2.

Wind-Mill.

Patented Dec. 3,1872.

4Sheets-Sheet3. E. & D.` C. STVER.

Wind-Mill.

N0. 133,601, Patented Dec. 3,1872.

EMANUEL STOVER, OF LANARK, AND DANIEL C. STOVER, OF FREEPORT,

ILLINOISe IMPRovEMi-:Nr IN WINDMILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,601, dated December 3, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that we, EMANUEL STOVER,

of Lanark, in the county of Carroll and State of Illinois, and DANIEL C. STOVER, of Free port, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Wind-Wheels; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification, in which- Figure l, Plate 1, is a front elevation of the wheel; Fig. 2, Plate 2, is a section taken vertically through the tower or frame and wheel, Fig. 3, Plate 2, is a horizontal section through the tower or frame at the joints of the timbers; Fig. 4, Plate 3, is a top view; Fig. 5, Plate 3, is a horizontal section through the tower or frame timbers and lower guidebearing for the connecting-rod; Fig. 6, Plate 4, is a detailed vertical section of the frustum, turn-table, andiother parts; and Fig. 7 is a dctailed horizontal section ofthe turn-table, 8:0.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in vwindwheels; the objects of which are: rst, to arrange the vane or rudder on one side of the vertical and horizontal axis of this wheel, and to apply to this rudder a regulating-weight, in such manner that the wheel will edge to the direction of the wind more or less according to the force of the wind 5 second, to employ, in connection with the eccentrically-arranged vane and its regulatingweight, a rope or chain which pass es through the central actuating-shaft of the wheel, and enables the attendant to adjust the vane in a plane parallel to the wind-wheel, and keep it there when it is desired to stop the operation of the wheel; third, to connect the actuating-rod by a swivel to a prismatic rod which works vcentrally through the lower end of the ange-tube of the tower; fourth, to dish the spokes and wings of the wind-wheel, and apply the said wheel to the tower, in such a manner that the weight of this wheel will be brought 'near the vertical axis of the center of the tower, and thus more equallybalance the wheel upon its bearings; iifth, to construct the tower ofthe wheel of timbers crossed in such will enable others skilled in the art to understand it.

The tower or frame of the wheel is composed; r

of a suitable number (say four) of strong beams, O, of equal length, which are crossed near their upper ends, and secured together by means of bolts g. The upper ends of the beams of this frame or tower are sawed off in the same plane, and upon them a horizontal cap, g, is rigidly secured, said cap serving to tie and hold the beams. The lower ends of these beams are secured down to posts driven into the ground by means of metal shoes. This makes a very strong, compact, light, and cheap frame, each timber of which ai'ords a base support. This structure also forms a central passage for the guide-tube and other parts, and allows the wheel which is dished to revolve very close to the vertical axis of the frame, and hence be governed more easily. Arepresents the wind-wheel, the wings of which are rigidly secured to concentricrin gs a a which are secured to radial spokes a. The entire wheel is dished, as shown in Fig. 2, and applied to a shaft, b, which passes through through the axis of a horizontal tubular bearing, b', which bearing is supported upon a circular ange, on, by means of a block, c. The axis of the shaft b intersects the vertical axis of the flange m, which is the vertical center about which the wheel turns as it is directed toward or from the.direction ofthe wind.

It will be seen, by reference to Figs. 2 and 4, that the plane of the rim or circumference of thewind-wheel A overhangs the bearing b considerably, owing to the dishing of this wheel, the elect of which is to throw the weight of the wheel nearer the vertical axis of the tower than is the case with a wheel not dished, and thus prevent undue strain and friction, the cross or hour-glass form of thetower permitting the perimeter of the wheel to revolve' in aplane which is far within the base of FFIC Y n the tower. thus allowing a short shaft to be used for the wheel to revolve upon. The flange mis formed on the upper end of a tube N, the form of which I prefer shall be an inverted conical frustum. It is supported on the cap g by means of anti-friction balls y, which are kept in their places between the flange and cap by means of a ring, c, said ring being keptl horizontal by vertical lugs c.

By reference to Figs. Gand 7 Plate 4, it will be seen that the ring c is perforated to receive the anti-friction balls y, and thus keep them in their places between the cap g and the flange l conical frustum N.

or turn-table m. The ring e enables us to use balls instead of wheels, and it also keeps the balls separated. The balls obviate the necessity of frequent lubrication of the turn-table bearing, and also allow the conical frustnm to rotate freely. The lower end s of the conical frnsturn is guided by aplate or step, s, which is secured in the crotch of the frame C, and which, by means of a flange or collar on the portion s', keeps the conical frustum down in its place, while the cap g keeps it verticallyin place. Through the portions aprismatic shaft,t,

passes vertically, which is connected by a pit- Inan, j, to a crank, i, on the wheel-shaft b. This shaft t turns with the conical frustum, and is free to. be moved up and down by the revolution of the crank i. Through this prismatic shaft t passes freely the upper portion of a hollow shaft, D, which is connected to the shaft t by flanges above and below it, so as to move up and down with it, but not to turn with it. The shaft D is the actuating-shaft of a pump or other machine which it is desired to operate. It will be seen that the prismatic shaft and conical frustum turn about. their vertical'axis with the wind-wheel A, and that the actuating-shaft receives an np-and-down motion, but does not rotate with said parts. The vane or rudder B has a short pivotal T- head formed on its rod, which is pivoted in an upright position between an overhanging eX- tension, h, of the block c and a lug which is formed on the periphery of the flange m of the The pivotal connection of the vane is thus eccentric to the vertical and horizontal axes of motion of the wind-wheelthat is to say, the vane is arranged on one side of the vertical center of the conical frustum' N, and connected thereto, so as to turn with it and the wheel A. J represents a bent 1ever, which is pivoted between two standards, o, rising` from the iiange m. The lever J has a weight, w, adjustably applied to it, and by means of a link, J, this loaded lever is connected to the upper inner angle of the vane, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. To the inner end of the loaded lever J a rope or chain, E, is connected, which passes down through the actuating-shaft D, and is drawn upon by the attendant when he desires to stop the revolution of the wheel A. By drawing down the chain E until the vane B is in a plane parallel to the wheel A, and then fastening the chain, the wheel A will be kept edgewise to the wind,

and will consequently not rotate about its horizontal axis.

It will be seen from the above description: First, that, whentheweightw isproperly ad j usted on its vertically-vibrating lever J so as to hold the vane B in a position at right an gies to the plane of the wheel A, under a light breeze, this wheel will present a full broadside to the wind; that, as the force of the wind increases, the angle of the vane with respect to the plane of the wheel will become more or less acute, which will in like proportion reduce the power of the wheel 5 or, in other words, the wheel will be edged to the wind more or less as the force of the wind increases. Second, that the horizontal axis of the wheel A is arranged radially with the center of the frame or tower C, while the vane is arranged eceentrically. This allows the power of the wheel to be transmitted more directly to the actuating-shaft D than when the vane and wheel are arranged in the reverse orderthat is, the wheel-shaft set eccentric to the axis of the tower, and the vane radial wit-h the central axis thereof. Third, that the weight which resists the action of the wind against the vane B is .adjustable on its lever, and may be set so as to increase or diminish the power of the wheel, as may be desired. Fourth, that by simply drawing down and holding the chain E the vane B can be retained in such a position with respect to the wheel A as will prevent the wind from having any influence on this wheel.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The tower for a wind-wheel, formed of a series of beams crossed and fastened together at top and at the [point of crossing so as to make a strong, compact, and light structure of tubular form, and which is broader at its base and its tip than it is at the point where the beams are crossed and united, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the tower formed of continuous beams C C, crossed so as to form an open tubular structure, and the wind-wheel with its frame and wings dished and inclining toward the center of the tower, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

3. The horizontally-swinging vane B applied eccentrically to the horizontally-turning tube of a wind-wheel whose shaft is radial with the axis of the tower, substantially as dcscribed.

4. The weighted rod J and the link J ap plied to a vane, B, which is pivoted to one side ofthe vertical axis of the tower, and also to one side of the horizontal axis ofthe windwheel, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

5. The flange m and bracket h, in combination with the T-arm of the vane, for the purpose of setting and sustaining the vane with its face square to the wind, and in a position eccentric to the axis of the tower, and also allowing the vane to move horizontally indeby a swivel to the prismatic rod #Working cenpendently of the Wheel7 substantially as detrally through the lower end of the tube of the scribed. tower, substantially as and for the purpose set 6. The eccentrically-hin ged vane B, link J forth.

weighted rod J lv, and stop-chain or cord E, ap- EMANUEL STOVER.

plied in connection with a wind-Wheel whose DANIEL C. STOVER.

axis is radial with the axis of the tower, sub- Witnesses:

stantially as and for the purpose set forth. J. A. GRAIN,

7. The hollow actuating-rod D, connected JOHN KENEGY. l 

